Lubricator.



E. GRUENEWALD.

LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE H, 1910- RENEWED JULY 23.1915.

1,21 5,650. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

O O Q U O O UNITED STATES OFFICE.

EUGENE GRUENEWALD, 'OEIVIOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MOLINE AUTOMOBILECO A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-FebQ1'3, 1917.

Application filed June 11, 1910, Serial No. 566,369. Renewed July 23, 1915. .Serial N 0. 41,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE GRUENEWALD, citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification, ref.- erence being had therein to the accompany.- ing drawing.

This invention relates especially to lubricators of the splash type adapted for portable engines, as for instance internal combustion engines used upon automobiles.

The principal object. of the invention is to provide, in a lubricator of this type having a plurality of-oil chambers for the severalcranks respectively, improved means of a simple nature whereby the quantity of oil in the several chambers can be quickly equalized should onechamber receive temporarily a larger quantity than another, as might be the case werethe-base of the engine not horizontal, as for instance when the vehicle on which it was mounted is ascending or descending a grade.

Figure l is a side elevation'of an engine embodying the inventiomx a part of the crank casing being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower part of the crank casing,

Fig. 3 is-a transverse section on the line w-m in Fig. 2.

In the drawings an engine is shown of the explosive class having four cylinders; but it will be understood thatthere can be modifications in many respects without departing from the essential features of the invention.

A indicates the casing as an entirety,

which incloses the crank-shaft, the pitman and other adjacent parts. It is composed of the upper section a and the lower section a. The lower section is fastened in place by bolts 6 which secure it firmly to the upper section a.

At the forward end this bottom section of the casing has a forwardly projecting extension B formed with a chamber 7) for the gearing and bearing at the front of the engine. At C there is a short rearward extending projection which incloses the lower part of the'rear bearing.

The crank-shaft D is so mountedin rela tion to the front and rear bearings that the several cranks (Z as they revolve move comtudinally of the oil chamber. Each-of these sub-chambers is immediately below one of the cranks (Z. The oil is supplied to the in terior through the'inletf by force'pump or in any other suitable way, it'being' preferable that the total body in the chamber E illl'ould be as uniform and constant as possi- The sub-chambers e, e, 6 e for holding the lubricant and located respectively below the several cranks (Z are separated, more or less, each from the next, by partitions g, g, 9 These are preferably cast integral with the body and side walls (generally one curved wall and extending transversely When the casing is level longithereof). tudinally the parts are so related that the oil in each sub-chamber will be quite effectively cut off from thatrin the adjacent chamber or chambers. Preferably, however, the partitions are not so high as to prevent the oil from flowing over them, more or less, when the casing is at one end considerably higher than at the other.

H indicates a chamber or duct extending longitudinally of the casing section a and preferably formed by casting a tubular wall it integral with the metal of the casing. This duct has four ports h, 72. 72. it. These are in a horizontal line, when the casing is normally level, this line being somewhat be? low the lowest central part of the top edges of the cross webs orpartitions g, g?, The

positions, vertically, of these ports or. deliv-v ery orifices, in relation to the-bottoms of the sub-oil chambers and relative to the tops of thecentral parts of the webs or partitions g, g, g is such that when the engine caslng is inclined to the ordinaryextreme limit in either direction, the surface of the body of .oilin each of said sub-chambers will be substantially in the same horizontal plane as the port or orifice for that chamber, so that oil can quite readily flow to and from each chamber at all times and yet there shall be provision against the escape of all the oil from any chamber at any time.

The ports to the duct or passage II are located resoectively opposite the longitudinal centers of the oil chambers of the casing. Consequently when the engine is inclined longitudinally the relation between the lowest point of travel of each crank and the level of the oil in the corresponding chamber remains unchanged.

The object of this construction and arrangement of parts is to equalize quickly the amount of oil in the several compar ments after the car has ascended a grade or descended one.

In the earlier constructions where there were presented only the cross division plates or webs, the experience was that in ascending a grade, the oil from the forward compartments was thrown in the rear compartment, giving excessive lubrication to the rear cranks and cylinders, and only scant lubrication to the front ones. After the engine casing is again brought to a level position the readjustment of the oil level in the several subcompartments is necessarily slow, and harm may be experienced by the bearings of the front connecting rods before the oil assumes the normal level.

lVith the present construction and arrangement of parts, however, the oil immediately equalizes in all of the compartments. The location of the port for each compartment is, as above described, such that in ascending a grade, the proper level of oil is maintained except as it is reduced by the throwing out under splash action of the connecting rod.

It will be observed that the duct H is a straight passage open from end to end, and

' horizontal, when the base of the engine is horizontal, and that it communicates with each of the lubricant chambers within the casing A, as has been pointed out, that is similarly. T his duct communicates with the end lubricant chambers and with the intermediate chambers, but with these only, that is to say, it forms no part of nor is it in communication with the reservoir from which the lubricant is supplied to the casing or with any circulating supply system.

What I claim is 1. In a lubricator for multiple cylinder portable engines, the combination of a crank casing having in its lower part transverse plates or webs forming a longitudinal series of lubricant-holding chambers, and means for conducting lubricant from each chamber to the other chambers, said conducting,

means being positioned above the bottom of the crank casing and opening into each chamber at a point above the bottom thereof and being adapted when the crank casing is horizontal to conduct by gravity an excess of lubricant in any one of the chambers to the other chambers.

2. In a lubricator for multiple cylinder portable engines, the combination of a crank casing having in its lower part transverse plates or webs forming a longitudinal series of lubricant holding chambers, and means for conducting lubricant from each chamber to the other chambers, said conducting means being positioned above the bottom of the crank casing and opening into each chamber at a point above the bottom thereof and being adapted, irrespective of the amount of lubricant therein, to conduct by gravity an excess of lubricant in any one of the chambers to the other chambers when the crank case is horizontal.

8. In a lubricator for multiple cylinder portable engines, a crank casing comprising in combination an upper part and an integrally cast lower part removably secured thereto, said lower part comprising an exterior oil retaining wall, a series of transverse plates or webs forming a series of lubricant chambers, and means for conducting lubricant from each chamber to the other chambers, saidv conducting means being positioned above the bottom of the crank casing and opening into each chamber at a point above the bottom thereof and being adapted when the crank case is horizontal to conduct by gravity an excess of lubricant nag.

in any one of the chambers to the other 7 chambers. I

4. In a lubricator for multiple cylinder portable engines, a crankcasing comprising in combination an upper part and an integrally cast lower part secured thereto, said lower part comprising an exterior oil retaining wall, transverse plates or webs forming a series of lubricant chambers, and a longitudinally extending duct formed in the exterior wall above the bottom of the casing and having openings which connect with the several chambers at points above the bottom thereof.

5. In a lubricator for a multiple cylinder portable engine, the combination of the crank case having in its lower portion trans verse plates forming a longitudinal series of lubricant holding chambers, and a conduit for conveying lubricant from one chamber to another, said conduit being open at both ends positioned within the said casing and extending from the center of one of the end oil chambers to the center of the oil chamber at the opposite end, said conduit being further provided with openings communicating with the intermediate oil chambers.

6. In a lubricator for a multiple cylinder portable engine, the combination of the crank case having in its lower portion transverse plates forming a longitudinal series of lubricant holding chambers, and a conduit for conveying lubricant from one chainber to another, said conduit being positioned longitudinally within the casing at'a point above the bottom thereof and provided with openings communicating with the oil chambers at points substantially opposite their longitudinal centers.

7. In a lubricator for a multiple cylinder portable engine, the combination of the crank case having in its lower portion transverse plates forming a longitudinal series of lubricant holding chambers and a conduit positioned above the bottom of the crank case for conveying lubricant from one chamber to another, said conduit being formed integrally with the lower portion of the said casing on its interior surface, and provided with openings communicating with the various oil chambers at points above the bottom of the said casing.

8. In a lubricator for a multiple cylinder portable engine, a crank casing having in its lower part a series of lubricant holding chambers separated by low partitions, and a duct along one side of the casing having an oil passage extending from endto end and communicating exclusively with the said chambers and communicating with all of them, whereby the quantity of oil in.the several chambers will be quickly equalized when the engine base is brought to horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE GRUENEWALD.

Witnesses:

W. H. VANDERvooRT, H.- A. SOVERHILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

